Every Tamil Nadu Government Gazette carries two dates on its masthead. The notification listing the state’s 2026 public holidays, for example, is headed “Tuesday, November 11, 2025” and, on the next line, “Aippasi 25, Visuvaavasu, Thiruvalluvar Aandu-2056”, as the gazette copy shows. That second line is the Tamil calendar in official use: a month and day, the name of the year and a year count in the Thiruvalluvar era.
If you have wondered why your grandmother talks about “Aadi” and “Margazhi”, or why a wedding invitation from a family in Mylapore gives a Tamil date first, this guide explains the parts of the calendar and how to read them.
The 12 Tamil months
The Tamil year has 12 solar months. The year starts with Chithirai in mid-April, and Thai begins in mid-January, as reporting on the 2011 New Year law noted. Each month straddles two Gregorian months, so the dates below are approximate.
| Tamil month | Roughly covers | Linked to (2026 holiday list) |
|---|---|---|
| Chithirai | mid-April to mid-May | Tamil New Year, 14 April |
| Vaikasi | mid-May to mid-June | |
| Aani | mid-June to mid-July | |
| Aadi | mid-July to mid-August | |
| Aavani | mid-August to mid-September | Vinayakar Chathurthi, 14 September |
| Purattasi | mid-September to mid-October | |
| Aippasi | mid-October to mid-November | Deepavali, 8 November |
| Karthigai | mid-November to mid-December | |
| Margazhi | mid-December to mid-January | |
| Thai | mid-January to mid-February | Pongal 15 Jan, Thiruvalluvar Day 16 Jan, Thai Poosam 1 Feb |
| Maasi | mid-February to mid-March | |
| Panguni | mid-March to mid-April |
The holiday dates in the last column come from G.O. Ms. No. 708 of the Public (Miscellaneous) Department, dated 11 November 2025. They show how the Tamil months anchor Tamil Nadu’s festival year: Pongal and Thiruvalluvar Day on the first days of Thai, and the Tamil New Year on the first of Chithirai.
Because the months follow the sun, a festival tied to a Tamil month falls on almost the same Gregorian date every year. Festivals tied to the moon, such as Deepavali or Vinayakar Chathurthi, shift by days or weeks from year to year.
The year names
The middle item on the masthead, such as Visuvaavasu, is the name of the year in a 60-year cycle. Gazettes from different years show it changing. A notification of 3 September 2021 is dated “Aavani 18, Pilava, Thiruvalluvar Aandu-2052”, while the 2025 holiday gazette names Visuvaavasu. Almanacs, called panchangams, list the full cycle, and families often refer to a birth year by its name.
Thiruvalluvar Aandu: the year count
The third item is the year number in the Thiruvalluvar era, named after the poet of the Thirukkural. Gazette mastheads show it running 31 years ahead of the Common Era year for much of the calendar:
- 23 August 2011: Aavani 6, Thiruvalluvar Aandu 2042 (Gazette No. 276)
- 3 September 2021: Aavani 18, Thiruvalluvar Aandu 2052
- October 2024: Thulai (Aippasi), Thiruvalluvar year 2055, on the state’s Tamil e-magazine Solvayal
- 11 November 2025: Aippasi 25, Thiruvalluvar Aandu 2056
So for a date between August and November, add 31 to the Gregorian year to get the Thiruvalluvar year. On that pattern, mid-October 2026 falls in Thiruvalluvar Aandu 2057. The era is used on state publications alongside the Gregorian date; it does not replace it for any legal deadline.
Where you will meet the Tamil calendar in Chennai
- Government gazettes and some state publications, which print the Tamil date under the English one.
- Daily sheet calendars sold in Chennai shops, which usually show the Tamil date, the year name and auspicious timings.
- Temple notices in places such as Mylapore and Triplicane, where festival dates are fixed by Tamil month and star.
- Wedding and housewarming invitations, which often give the Tamil date first.
- Weather talk: older residents may say the northeast monsoon “comes in Aippasi”. This year IMD declared its onset over Tamil Nadu on 15 October, close to the start of that month.
Some month names you will see in Tamil writing
Pure-Tamil writers sometimes use alternative names. Solvayal, for example, uses Thulai for the month most people call Aippasi. If a document’s month name does not appear in the table above, it is likely one of these literary forms; a Tamil dictionary or the panchangam will give the match.
Quick answers
When does the Tamil year start?
On the first day of Chithirai, in mid-April. In 2026 the Tamil New Year holiday was on 14 April.
What is Thiruvalluvar Aandu 2056?
The Thiruvalluvar-era year used on gazettes in late 2025, for example on 11 November 2025.
How do I convert to the Thiruvalluvar year?
For dates from August to November, add 31 to the Gregorian year, as gazette mastheads show.
Which Tamil month is it now?
In the second half of October, the month of Aippasi has just begun.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 721, 11 November 2025: public holidays 2026 (Stationery and Printing Department)
- Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 396, 3 September 2021 (Rural Development Department)
- Tamil Nadu Government Gazette Extraordinary No. 276, 23 August 2011 (Stationery and Printing Department)
- Solvayal e-magazine, October 2024 (Senthamizh Etymological Dictionary Project Directorate)
- DMK’s Tamil year law scrapped (Deccan Herald)
